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A friend of mine recently had her dog groomed. I am writing this little story as if the dog was doing it on the day she was groomed and just got home.

My Mommy had me groomed today, and wow do I feel good and look very pretty. I have a bow in my hair. How I know it’s a bow is because everybody says bow and then touches it. It really feels funny when they touch it though. Getting groomed must be a big deal. Since I have never been groomed before, I don’t really know. You see, I’m still a puppy and Mommy wanted to wait for me to get bigger. I’m bigger now, so today was the day.

My day started out with me being put in a dog kennel and being carried, by Mommy and her friend, to the place where you get groomed. It was fun riding in the kennel, but I got a little scared when they just left me in the kennel and then left the place and left me by myself. But I didn’t stay scared for very long because everybody was so nice to me. The bath felt so good, just like when Mommy does it. But they even used some stuff that smelled so good. That’s how I know it was special to go to this place.

After they gave me a bath they took me to a table where they put this thing around my neck so I wouldn’t jump off of the table. It scared me a little bit because I have never been tied up before. But it was OK after just a little while. They brushed me really good and it felt soooo good. Next they started clipping my hair, fur, I don’t have hair. Mommy had clipped me some, but they clipped me even more.

The next thing that happened was sort of scary too. There were a lot of scary things that happened, but they all turned out to be good, so I tried not to be too scared. Well, next they turned on this thing that makes a lot of noise and blows out warm air at the same time. It was the noise that was scary, but the warm air sure did feel good. And they were brushing me the whole time that awful noise was going on. So I just paid attention to the nice warm air and not that awful noise.

When they were finished, they put me back in the dog kennel. I was so tired from everything that had happened and being scared. Being scared makes you tired, and I fell asleep.

After a while I was taken back home. The really big deal started after I got home. Everybody wanted to see my haircut. I sure did like everybody wanting to hold me and pet me saying how soft I was and how nice I smelled.

When the people had finished holding me and petting me, Mommy took me to another friend’s house to have some pictures taken to show off my bow. And Mommy knew I wanted to explore this new place. See how surprised Mommy is when I started wiggling to get down.

But Mommy wouldn’t let me down and started hugging me to calm me down, see her smiling. She thought she could hold me. But I was determined to get down and explore.

Life is short. Don’t let it sneak up on you and and you be regretting that you didn’t tell a loved one how you felt about them. After they have died, or when you are on your own death bed, it is too late then to let your family know how you feel or felt about them.

There are many people that are too shy and/or feel silly telling a loved one how they feel. When they are confronted, they usually say, “I don’t have to tell them, they know by how I treat them.” This may be true, but people are human and therefore like being told, every once in a while at least, that they are loved and appreciated.

Many times the silence is because of an argument or disagreement. The individual loved ones are so angry with each other, they don’t even want to see each other, let alone tell the other one they are loved. Many a family has been split apart by just such an argument or perceived injustice. After all, the last thing you want to say or hear from someone is that you are loved right after you were told where to go and how to get there.

It’s normal to have disagreements and to argue about things. Some arguments start over the smallest little thing and end up just short of a family feud, with everybody taking sides and continuing to call each other names and telling each other just where to go. The worst part is that it may have started because someone had a bad day at work, at school, or even at home. I have even heard of instances where one of the people got so upset and angry with the other one that they killed the other one. When the survivor came to their senses, they felt so guilty and full of remorse that they took their own life. Granted, this was taking it to the maximum extreme, but never the less it has happened, in real life, and not just on TV.

I try to live by my own advice, and to be a good example. I fail a lot, but then I succeed a lot too. There are some people in my family that tell me that I tell others, both family members and friends, that I love them too often. I am told that I don’t have to say it every time I see the other person, or text the other person, call the other person, or make a comment on their Facebook. I disagree. I have a lot of medical problems, as many, if not most, of my long time readers know. I was told many years ago that I would be dead by the time I was 59. Well, I am now in my mid sixties and still kicking, but I know that I am on borrowed time. That being the case, each time I have contact with a family member or friend, It could be my last, so I let them know that I love them.

Now I know that there are going to be many readers that will say, “Nobody knows when their last day is going to be, they could die of a heart attack, or be in an accident and get killed. This is very true. But it stands to reason that a person with numerous medical problems has a much greater chance of dying than someone that is, as the saying goes, “healthy as an ox”.

Don’t take me wrong, I know that arguments are going to happen. No two people can live together, or be close friends for that matter, without having the occasional misunderstanding, disagreement, argument, or whatever you want to call it. I am just trying to impress on you how important it is to let your loved ones know just how you feel.

All I am asking is that you stop and think about some of your past arguments with family or friends. Is it really worth it to carry the hurt for years and never have anymore good times together? I don’t think so. But here we all have to give in some. No one person is always right, and by the same token, no one person is always wrong either. We all need to try to have that “unconditional love” for each other.

If you have had an argument with a family member or a friend, be the bigger person and be the first to apologize. Even if the other person doesn’t accept your apology, give it anyway. At least you will know that you tried.

The definition of “unconditional love” is;

Unconditional love is known as affection without any limitations or love without conditions. This term is sometimes associated with other terms such as true altruism or complete love. … It is a concept comparable to true love, a term which is more frequently used to describe love between lovers.

In any circumstance, try to stay positive and upbeat. This can be accomplished in various ways.

Some words have a positive connotation, some have a negative connotation, and some have a neutral connotation. The definition of a connotative word is;

When you look up a word in the dictionary, you will find its literal (denotative) meaning. However, the emotions and associations connected to a word is known as its connotative meaning. Depending on our experiences, certain words have a positive, negative, or neutral connotation.

One way is by trying not to use negative words or statements with negative connotations in them or to them. The definition below is of a negative connotation, however, it also has a link for the difference between negative and positive connotation.

Negative connotation is when the word implies something negative or is informal. For example, the word chick is not only informal, but sometimes implies negativity to other girls. Now, we need to know what Positive Connotation is. Positive Connotation implies Positivity or.Jan 7, 2013

I felt that it was necessary to look up the definition of negative and positive connotation, that way there is a reference to fall back on in case there is some confusion about it.

When I became a teenager, my Mother told me to always try to make anybody I had any contact with feel better by having had an encounter with me. I guess it was her way of saying to “brighten the corner where you are”. That was a very hard thing for me to do, as I was sad most of my growing up years. I was backwards and didn’t really have very good interaction skills with other people. That happens when you are being abused a lot.

My life sort of turned around when I got married and moved to another state. However, after my first husband left me for a truck stop waitress, my world started to crumble.

I met someone else at church and we got married soon after that. My life was beautiful. I looked forward to coming home everyday to be with my husband. but that too changed just two years after we were married. He lost his job and had to go to another town to get work. Then he started back to school to get his engineering degree. Somewhere along the line he changed his major to psychology. It was then that my past came flooding back. Long story short, he left and moved to another state to continue his education and get his degree is psychology.

I poured myself into my work at my full time job and also got a part-time job. Things were going good for me until I became disabled. While I was visiting my family back home in March of 1990, I came down with asthma, bronchitis, and mico-plasm pneumonia (the worst kind for scaring your lungs). I had to stay an extra two weeks because the doctors would not let me fly back to my own home. Once I got back to my own home, I was being rushed to the hospital every 7 to 10 days with asthma attacks so bad that I couldn’t breathe. You can’t keep a job when you are having to be rushed to the hospital so much. On June 9, 1990, I lost both my full time job that I had had for 16 years, and my part time job that I had had for 5 years. The next year I had to file for bankruptcy.

I was put on numerous medications to control all of my symptoms and new diseases. one of the medications that the doctors put me on for the inflammation in my lungs was Prednisone. After I went on that one, I gained 100 pounds in 6 months. It took the doctors 3 years to come up with the perfect combination of medications to control my condition. In the meantime I had had to start using oxygen.

After three years of being sick, I was feeling well enough to start to school to train for another job. So at 41 years old, in May of 1993, I started going to Lexington Community College, pulling oxygen tanks behind me. The day before I started classes, I found out that I had become diabetic. Unknown to me, one of the really bad adverse side effects of Prednisone was that it could cause you to become diabetic. I was still having to be rushed to the hospital with asthma attacks, but no where near as often as before.

I was planning on being a Respiratory Therapist. Most of my classes were medical in nature that being the case. It came time to declare my major, and so I did. There were 300 students that tried to get into the program. I was number 3 to be accepted. Needless to say I was very happy. My happiness was to be short lived. In January, I ended up in a wheelchair. You can’t do Respiratory Care from a wheelchair. So in tears, I had to go tell them that I had to decide on a different major. The major I had to pick had to be one that could be done in a wheelchair. I chose computer programming.

Long story short, it took me 6 and 1/2 years to finish a 2 year program. With all of my medical problems and doctors appointments and therapy appointments, I was only able to attend half time. During the time I was there, I had to have 13 surgeries. But through it all, I persevered. I finished in December of 1999, with honors, and went through the graduation ceremonies in May of 2000. I had had to be rushed from work to the hospital earlier in the day, but returned to work after being discharged from the ER. I told them at work that there was no way that I was going to miss my graduation ceremony. I attended my graduation ceremonies and ended up in a wall of smoke just outside the building as i was going to go home. The ambulance had to take me from my vehicle to the hospital for a second time that day. I was back at work the next day.

I had started working in March of 2000. It had taken me a little over 2 months, after finishing school, to find a job. The following is a picture of me at my desk at work:

As you can see I had to wear a face mask so I wouldn’t catch anything from anybody else. My immune system was so low due to all of my medical conditions and medications. I had wrist braces, a back brace, leg braces, and had to use a scooter to get around. But I still went to work. I had to get up at 4:30 every morning, to be able to do everything that I had to do to get ready to go to work, and be there by 7:00. i went to bed at 8:30 every night.

My time at work was marked with many medical issues as well. I had 11 surgeries while I was working. In November of 2004, I was getting ready to sit down at my desk, after returning from yet another surgery. My supervisor informed me not to sit down, and went on to tell me that I no longer worked there. She told me that they needed me to be there and not out having to have surgeries all the time.

I have been on total disability ever since then. I still have to have surgeries and have many medical problems, but I try to find things to laugh at about my situation. Many people get upset with me for laughing at such serious issues. I just tell them that if I couldn’t laugh, I couldn’t make it with all the things that I have wrong with me. In other words, I try to stay upbeat as much as possible. granted, I don’t make it all the time, but I never stop trying.

I have made it for 17 years with an artificial bladder. Of the people had the same surgery as I did at the same time as I had mine, most of them died within the first three years. Only a handful made it for five years. I am the only person still surviving that had it back in 2000. I am waiting for the next surgery on my bladder as we speak. i have to get down to 200 pounds. At my current weight of 226.6 pounds, I have a 60% chance of surviving the surgery. At 200 pounds, my survival rate goes up to 80%. Granted 80% isn’t all that great, and i would much rather have a 95% chance of surviving, but 80% is better that 60% any day of the week.

What I am trying to point out with this whole big post is that you have to stay positive as much as possible. I know that it is not humanly possible to be positive all the time, but it is humanly possible to be positive at some time everyday!!!! PERIOD!!!

This was from several weeks back, yes, I climbed in the crib in hopes to soothe my screaming, teething, blushed faced, and tear soaked little girl. My husband came home to this, and I am re-posting because this captures the essence of my heart, and my “why…” There I was in the heat of this exhausting, beautiful thing we call parenthood, and I remembered a promise I made to her.

One of the first times Matt and I left Luella, was to a worship concert. At that conference, a missionary shared his story, and it shook me to the core. A moment that would forever be burned in my fragile, hormone raging, new mommy heart that had already become 100xs more fragile after meeting her.

That missionary was in an orphanage in Uganda, and he has been in many before, but this one was different. He walked into a nursery with over 100 filled cribs with babes. He listened in amazement and wonder as the only sound he could hear was silence. A sound that is beyond rare in ANY nursery, let alone a nursery where over 100 new babes laid. He turned to his host and asked her why the nursery was silent. Then , her response to him is something I will never, ever forget. EVER. This was my “why” moment.

She looked at him and said, “After about a week of them being here, and crying out for countless hours, they eventually stop when they realize no one is coming for them…”

…They stop crying when they realize no one is coming for them. Not in 10 minutes, not in 4 hours, and maybe, perhaps, not ever…

Broke.

I broke. I literally could have picked up pieces of my heart scattered about the auditorium floor. But instead, it stirred in me a longing, a hunger.. A promise in my spirit.

We came home, and that night as Luella rested her tiny little 10lb body against mine and we rocked, I made a promise to her. A promise that I would always come to her.

Always.

At 2:00am when pitiful desperate squeals come through a baby monitor, I will come to her.

Her first hurt, her first heartbreak, we will come to her. We will be there to hold her, to let her feel, to make decisions on her own, and we will be there. We will show her through our tears and frustrations at times, that it is okay to cry, and it’s ok to feel. That we will always be a safe place, and we will always come to her.

“What is that moose doing in my backyard?” That’s probably what the lady that did the video below was asking herself. The video is amazing. You will be surprised when you see what the reason was for the moose being in the backyard.

Now wasn’t it worth it to watch the video? Not many people get to see what you just saw, and hear the moment by moment narration.

The story about The Girl Who Paints Heaven is a very amazing story. Her name is Akiane Kramarik. Today is the first time that I have read anything about it. The video I watched was of her on the Katie show.

She is now 18, but has seen visions of Heaven, and started hearing Heavenly voices, since she was only four years old. The most amazing part to me is that both of her parents are self claimed atheists or agnostics, according to her Father Mark Kramarik. Also amazing is the fact that she had never even been told about God, Heaven, Jesus, or the Angels.

According to the video that I saw, some of her paintings are worth more that $1,000,000. She first started painting when she was 6 years old, but has been drawing since she was four. Her parents home schooled her. She would get up at 4:30 AM, and start painting at 5:00 AM , every morning, Monday thru Saturday, and do the art for about three hours. Her talent is awesome, considering that she is self taught on her painting abilities.

This was on Facebook a few days ago. I am an avid fan of any Shirley Temple information. I copied and pasted the information and links here. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

POSTED 2 WEEKS AGO BY WILL STEFANSKI

7 Surprising Facts About The Life Of Shirley Temple (Black)

Shirley Temple was a star from an early age. But there is more to her than you might know. Her life included a lot more than just being the namesake for a famous “mocktail” and her performances inBright Eyes, Wee Willie Winkie, and Fort Apache. The deeper one looks into her biography, the more fascinating she becomes.

These 7 surprising facts about Shirley Temple will remind you why she still is America’s favorite redhead.

7. HOW EARLY DID SHE BEGIN HER CAREER?

Shirley Temple joined a dance studio when she was only three years old. Whilst at her studio in LA, two film producers discovered her and saw her potential. They were filming a series of single-reel parody films that used child actors in the place of adults. She would be paid $10 each day and the series would be called “Baby Burlesks.” This where her career began.

6. F.D.R. SAID SHE FOUGHT DEPRESSION DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION

The Great Depression lasted through much of the early phase of Temple’s career. President Franklin D. Roosevelt publicly noted Temple’s moral boosting abilities, calling her “Little Miss Miracle.” FDR even went so far as to say the following:

“As long as our country has Shirley Temple, we will be all right… When the spirit of the people is lower than at any other time during this Depression, it is a splendid thing that for just 15 cents, an American can go to a movie and look at the smiling face of a baby and forget his troubles.”

5. 43 BEFORE 13

By the time she was 12, Shirley Temple had already been in 43 films. Before becoming a teenager, she had done about four films a year. That’s absurd by today’s standards, especially at such a young age. It’s important to remember that films took much less time to produce in the 30s than they do now.

4. PRE-PUBERTY WEALTH

Before becoming an adult, Shirley Temple made over $3 million from acting. This may not seem like very much when considering the salaries of today’s child actors. But that is the equivalent of over $50 million if you adjust the number for inflation.

3. TEEN MARRIAGE

Shirley Temple was married twice in her life. Her first marriage was to John Agar Jr. in 1945. He was a fellow actor, but the astonishing thing is that he was 24 years old at the time; Temple was only 17!

They had a child together but their marriage ended a mere four years later.

2. WORKING FOR THE U.N.

After retiring from motion pictures at an early age, Shirley Temple Black (she adopted the surname of her second husband) became a U.S. Ambassador. Her career with the government included:

1969–1970: U.S. delegate to the U.N. General Assembly

1974: Ambassador to Ghana

1976-1977: Chief of Protocol for the U.S.

1988: Honorary U.S. Foreign Service officer

1989-1992: Ambassador to Czechoslovakia

1. BREAST CANCER ADVOCACY

In 1972, Shirley Temple Black called a press conference from her hospital bed. This was a time when celebrities generally didn’t talk about their health issues. Temple Black was recuperating from a mastectomy to remove a cancerous lump from her left breast. In her announcement to the public, she said:

“The only reason I am telling you this is to convince other women to watch for any lump or unusual symptom. There is almost certain cure for this cancer if it is caught early enough.”

Shirley Temple Black is often credited as a pioneer for breast cancer awareness because of her tenacity towards the issue. She gave a voice to women around the world who were dealing with what was, at the time, considered to be a private issue.

America I am passionate, but you don’t care about your elderly…Your formulas are outdated. …many seniors are in one room dwellings crammed with their lives in 2 drawers…They work for years…pensions and 401K tricked their savings to live life on a tight budget…You discourage seniors marrying, so many shack to keep checks they’ve earned…oh all seniors don’t have cars…mass transit and cab prices still climbing …..So….

Bonnie Jean HernThis is so true, and it’s pitiful that it is that way. Why is it that whenever there is any talking about cutbacks, Social Security and Medicare are always on the chopping block? It seems that America feels like seniors are replaceable and disposable once they retire. It’s just not right for seniors to be treated the way that they are being treated. The Veterans get treated badly also. America should be ashamed of the way she treats those two groups of people.

There would be private, secure rooms provided for all with an outdoor exercise yard complete with gardens.

Each senior would have a P.C., T.V., phone and radio in their room at no cost.

They would receive daily phone calls.

There would be a board of directors to hear any complaints and the ACLU would fight for their rights and protection.

The guards would have a code of conduct to be strictly adhered to, with attorneys available, at no charge to protect the seniors and their families from abuse or neglect.

****************************************************************************** The statements below point out all that the criminals deserve. They don’t deserve all of the amenities that they receive in jail. After all, they are there to be punished for a crime they committed against society, not to be on vacation!!!

When you stop and actually think about it, this really makes a lot of sense. It’s a poor state of affairs for our nation when it makes more sense to put seniors in jail than to put them in nursing homes. It sure would save a lot of money. If the criminals families had to pay for their incarceration at the same rate as what it costs to have a family member in a nursing home. If the families of the criminals had have taught the children to be better citizens, maybe they would not have committed the crimes that put them in jail in the first place. But with all of the amenities that prisoners get, it makes more sense for them to commit crimes to be locked up. It’s better than being homeless and living out of trashcans and under bridges.

If half of what is put out for the incarceration of criminals was spent on helping to lower the cost of providing for seniors, whose only crime is that they have lived a good life and can no longer take care of their self, then the families of the seniors could rest a little easier. But as it is right now, the family of the senior citizen has to all but become homeless to provide nursing home care for their family member. It’s really quite sad when you stop and think about it.

****************************************************************************** As with most of the other DIY projects that I post here, this one came from Facebook. The source URL is: http://bit.ly/1uO0Gcj

Once you’ve gathered your supplies and setup a work space near your microwave, this project is fairly simple and would be a great craft to do with a friend. I loved blending my own colors and experimenting with different color combinations.

SUPPLIES NEEDED

Additional Tools

• Microwave
• X-acto knife

The first step is to peel the paper off your crayons. You can either use an x-acto knife or soak the crayons in water for easy peeling.

Next, fill a dixie cup with wax and microwave for 1 minute. Give it a stir and microwave again in 30 second intervals until wax is completely melted. Pour a thin layer of wax into the bottom of each votive and place the candle wick in the center. Let harden.

Using one crayon per color, fill a dixie cup with wax and top with a broken up crayon. Microwave for 2 minutes and then in 30 second intervals until completely liquified. Let cool for 30 seconds or so and pour colored wax into the votive. Let the first layer dry for 20-30 minutes.

Repeat this process and continue to pour layers of colored wax into each votive, making sure to let them dry between each layer.

And that’s it!

What other fun crafts have you made with old crayons? We’d love to hear about your projects…

I found the article below on my Facebook. I felt that it was important enough to copy in its’ entirety. The URL of the website is below. I hope that this article is informative for many people and helps with early detection of cancer. If just one person is helped by this article, then my sharing it will have been worth it.

Cancer related fatigue differs from common tiredness as it has no precise cause and effect. Whilst everyone can get tired after activity or a full day, this type of fatigue is not related to activity nor gets better after rest or sleep. It is an unusual full body tiredness which is not relieved by sleep and occurs throughout the day. It is a constant, prolonged and extreme lack of energy where normal day-to-day activities are challenging and even the arms and legs can feel heavy and hard to move. A cancer may cause fatigue as the cancer cells use up the body’s energy supply and change the way the body makes energy from food. It is a common early symptom in some cancers like leukemia or stomach or colon cancers where blood loss occurs but is not obvious and will cause fatigue.

2. Unexplained Weight Loss

Image Credit: medicine net.com

Weight loss for no known reason, not through stress or change in diet or exercise is called unexplained weight loss. It is a common sign in the early stages of some types of cancer. 60% of people with lung cancer and 80% of people with stomach, pancreatic or esophageal cancer have lost a significant amount of weight by the time they are diagnosed. Although it is often characterized by loss of appetite, some people in the early stages of cancer may still be eating normally and yet still lose weight. If you are not dieting and you lose more than 5% of your normal weight in 1 month, or 10% in 6 months, you should ask your doctor to investigate as this can be the first sign of cancer.

3. Feeling Bloated or Swollen Abdomen

Image Credit: thelucyroseclinic.com.au

Persistent bloating or increased size of the abdomen can be typical symptoms of a number of cancers. Feeling bloated can cause you to feel full quickly, even after a small meal or you may have difficulty eating at all. Increased abdominal size or persistent bloating are common signs of ovarian, uterine or stomach cancer. Colon cancer can block the inside of the colon, causing progressive bloating. If the cancer is higher up in the colon, bloating may be the only initial symptom. An enlarged abdomen is common in liver cancer and can be caused by the growing tumor or the build up of fluids. If you have bloating on most days, for 3 weeks or more you need to see your doctor.

4. Thickening or Lump in any Part of the Body

Image Credit: livingwellblack.org

Many cancers can be felt through the skin. These cancer signs occur mostly in the breast, testicles and lymph nodes (glands), such as in the neck, armpits or groin and may also show up as red or thickened skin rather than a lump. The most common symptom of a testicular cancer is a lump or swelling in part of one testicle. It can be as small as a pea or it may be much larger. A lump in the neck is a common symptom of head and neck cancers such as thyroid, larynx and nasopharyngeal cancer? The first symptoms of breast cancer for many women are a lump or change in the size, shape and feel of the breast or nipple. It may be accompanied by a swelling or lump in the armpit. A lump caused by cancer is usually hard, irregularly shaped and firmly attached deep in the soft tissue or under the skin and is usually not painful. If you notice a new lump or one that has grown in size it may be an early sign of cancer and should always be reported to a doctor.

5. Pain

Image Credit: popsci.com

Pain is one of the ways our bodies tell us that something is wrong. Cancer related pain can range from a dull ache to a sharp pain and may start suddenly and be ongoing or may start as a pain that comes and goes. Pain is commonly one of the earliest symptoms of bone cancer. At first, the pain may not be constant and may only worsen with movement. Approximately 20% of men have a sharp pain in the testicle or scrotum as a first symptom of testicular cancer. Lung cancers may press on nerves resulting in pain in the shoulder, chest, back or arm even before they cause any difficulty breathing or coughing. A headache that does not go away, worsens with pressure such as coughing, bending or sneezing, and does not get better with treatment may be a symptom of a brain tumor. You should see a doctor if you experience sudden pain lasting a few days or pain that comes and goes but continues for longer than a month.

6. Shortness of Breath

Image Credit: woolcock.org.au

Shortness of breath, dyspnea ,is characterized by a feeling of inability to get enough air. It can be described as a tightness or feeling of suffocation. Some types of cancer can grow very near the tissue that surrounds your heart. This can interfere with how much blood the heart can pump out and can cause shortness of breath. Cancer in or near the lungs may cause a blockage to the tubes that carry air. Breathlessness is also common with breast cancer tumors. Where there is build up of fluid in the abdomen, such as is common with ovarian or liver cancer, the increased pressure on the diaphragm makes it harder for the lungs to expand when you breathe in. Additionally, many types of cancer may cause anemia, which can make you breathless because your body is carrying less oxygen. Ask your doctors to investigate any feelings of breathlessness.

7. Skin Changes

Image Credit: wisegeekhealth.com

The skin offers a window to what is going on inside the body and skin changes can be the first sign of internal malignancy. Skin discolorations such as yellowing skin or darkening skin are important signs of internal disease. Redness or bruise like coloring of the breast is an early sign for inflammatory breast cancer, as are changes in the texture of the skin such as dimpling. Itching is another common symptom in many types of cancers. Up to 30% of people with Hodgkin lymphoma have itching of the whole body. Itching is often worse on the legs and chest. Sometimes skin changes can be seen on the nail folds and cuticles and even noticing subtle changes can lead to early cancer diagnosis. When it comes to skin cancer, existing moles that develop irregular borders and change in shape or size must be examined. Any new growths or dark spots, dry, scaly or pinkish patches or any sores that change, itch or bleed and won’t heal may also indicate skin cancer, where early treatment is essential.

8. Fever or Night Sweats

Image Credit: newhealthguide.org

A fever is a rise in normal body temperature, generally 36- 37ºC. When you have a fever, your body temperature rises above 38ºC (100.4ºF). When it is between 37ºC and 38ºC, it is called a low grade fever. A fever is the body’s response to infection or illness and if is raised for some time, it can be a sign that something more serious is wrong. Cancer accounts for about 20 to 30 percent of fevers where the origin is unknown. Fever may be a sign of early cancer in the case of blood cancers such as leukemia or lymphoma. Fever may also reveal colon and kidney cancer at an early stage. Fevers related to cancer are persistent, meaning they last longer than three days or come and go repeatedly. It may occur with or without other symptoms. How high a fever is does not indicate the severity of a condition. A persistent low-grade fever may be an early warning sign even though the fever itself is not high. All such fevers require further investigation.

9. Change in Bowel Habits

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The term “change in bowel habits” can include any constant change in frequency, consistency (diarrhea or constipation), color, shape or caliber of the stools. Sometimes cancer can block the bowel. This is called a bowel obstruction. The symptoms include constipation and being unable to pass wind. Constipation is defined as having less than three bowel movements in a week. Small, hard stool is also an indicator of constipation. Constant diarrhea, defined, as loose, runny or watery stool should also be investigated. Changes in shape of your stool such as if your stool becomes thin, narrow or ribbon-like could be an indication of changes inside your colon caused by cancer. Likewise, changes in color, such as dark or blackened stool or blood in the stool, may also indicate changes in the colon. A feeling of discomfort or an urge to have a bowel movement, even after opening your bowel or a feeling of not having fully emptied your bowels after going to the toilet can be symptoms of bowel cancer. Any changes lasting three weeks or more should be evaluated.

10. Changes In Bladder Habits

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Changes in bladder function can include a variety of symptoms. The need to urinate often, feeling pain or burning when going or a frequent urge to urinate whether or not anything is produced are all possible signs that need investigation. Cancer can develop in the bladder, kidneys, renal pelvis (the part of the kidneys urine is collected) or ureter (the tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder). Tumors may also cause incontinence, urinating when you don’t intend to. Needing to pee more often or more urgently than normal can also be a sign of ovarian cancer. Prostrate cancer may also cause a sudden and urgent need to pee, night waking to use the bathroom, dribbling urine after you think you’re finished, beginning to urinate, and more frequent urination day or night. Knowing what changes to look out for can mean finding cancer early enough to have a higher chance of treating it successfully.

11. Nagging Cough

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Many people dismiss or adapt to a chronic cough, attributing it to something else. Since lung cancer is most treatable in the early stages of the disease, finding a cancer as early as possible is extremely important.A persistent cough, defined as a cough that lasts for at least 8 consecutive weeks, should always be investigated. At least half of people diagnosed with lung cancer have a cough that just wouldn’t go away, at the time of diagnosis. Excessive coughing are also common signs of laryngeal and thyroid cancer. Cancer coughs have no specific pattern and may occur during the day only, or continue through the night, interfering with sleep and causing daytime fatigue. The cough may be dry or you may cough up mucous, it may be accompanied by chest pain, or you may notice a change in a cough you have had for a long time.

12. Difficulty Swallowing

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Difficulty swallowing, called dysphagia, occurs when a person has trouble getting food or liquid to pass down the mouth or throat. Some people may gag, cough, spit, dribble or choke when trying to swallow, while others may feel like food is sticking on the way down. Mouth or throat cancers can cause the passages to become restricted or narrowed making swallowing difficult. It is a common symptom of a variety of head and neck cancers such as esophageal, oropharyngeal cancer, thyroid and laryngeal cancers. It may also be amongst the symptoms for people with stomach cancer. Initially, the problem may be noticed when large pieces of poorly chewed food are swallowed but can get progressively worse to the point that even liquids become difficult to swallow.

13. Red or White Patches or Sores Inside the Mouth

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Cancer of the oral cavity (mouth) is the most common type of head and neck cancer. Most of these cancers can be cured if discovered early. The most common symptoms include a sore or lump on the lip or in the mouth that does not heal or bleeds easily, and white and/or red patches or coating on the gums, tongue, or cheeks that doesn’t go away. The inside of the mouth may also appear red, shiny or swollen. If you wear dentures, they may become uncomfortable or fit poorly. White patches inside the mouth may be leukoplakia, which is pre-cancerous and if its not treated, can become mouth cancer. Any long-lasting mouth changes should be checked by a doctor or dentist right away.

14. Repeated Infections

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Cancer of the oral cavity (mouth) is the most common type of head and neck cancer. Most of these cancers can be cured if discovered early. The most common symptoms include a sore or lump on the lip or in the mouth that does not heal or bleeds easily, and white and/or red patches or coating on the gums, tongue, or cheeks that doesn’t go away. The inside of the mouth may also appear red, shiny or swollen. If you wear dentures, they may become uncomfortable or fit poorly. White patches inside the mouth may be leukoplakia, which is pre-cancerous and if its not treated, can become mouth cancer. Any long-lasting mouth changes should be checked by a doctor or dentist right away.

15. Hoarseness

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If your voice is hoarse, you may have a raspy, weak, or airy quality to your voice that prevents you from making smooth vocal sounds. It is defined as an abnormal change to the voice producing a rough, harsh sound. A hoarse voice persisting for longer than three weeks can be a sign of cancer. It may be caused by excessive coughing or due to a tumor pressing nerves that travel to the vocal cords. It is the most common sign of cancer of the larynx-the voice box-where persistent hoarseness is often the earliest sign. It is also a common symptom with other neck and throat cancers such as thyroid cancer, hypopharyngeal cancer and oropharyngeal cancer. If you have persistent hoarseness lasting for more than 10 days, seek prompt medical attention, as it may be a sign of cancer.

16. Unusual Bleed

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Unusual bleeding can happen in early cancer and should always be evaluated. If you experience bleeding with no obvious injury, talk to your doctor. Coughing up blood may be a sign of lung cancer or Laryngeal Cancer. Blood in the urine is usually the first and most common sign of cancer of the bladder or kidneys. If you have blood in your urine, you may see pink, brownish, or red discoloration. Blood in the stool could be a sign of colon or rectal cancer. A bloody discharge from the nipple can indicate breast cancer. For women, any abnormal vaginal bleeding should always be checked out. For those after menopause, vaginal bleeding is never normal. For those still getting a period, any changes in the menstruation or spotting in between should be promptly investigated. Contact bleeding, occurring after sexual intercourse, also needs to reported to the doctor. Cervical, ovarian, vaginal, endometrial and uterine cancer can all present with irregular bleeding and are often overlooked by women in the early stages.